Mr. Speaker, the objective of the Government of Canada is to surveil them and contain them to ensure that they do not harm more people, and indeed bring the full force of Canadian justice against them for fighting for a terrorist organization. I know the member for Calgary Nose Hill must agree with those words, because that is what she herself said word for word in this House last night.

Mr. Speaker, the point that I have against the minister here, and the question that I have for him, is that he is saying that these figures are accurate, but he will not give the date as of when they are accurate. These are two-year-old numbers. He is standing up and saying that all of these people are under surveillance, but he will not give the number of people who are in Canada who have come in over the last two years. Therefore, very simply, how many people in this situation have come in over the last two years, and how many are under 24-hour surveillance?

Ralph GoodaleLiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is the number released by CSIS two years ago was in the order of 60, and it has confirmed that number remains essentially the same today. Whenever the security and police forces of our country recognize a threat, they take all appropriate measures to deal with that threat. It would have been helpful in these circumstances if the previous government had not cut a billion dollars from those services.

Tomorrow, hundreds of seasonal workers will denounce with a single voice this government's inaction on the EI spring gap problem. The Liberals promised to help seasonal workers, but it has been two years, and nothing has been done.

In a few short months, workers and their families from the north shore and across Canada will have to get by without any income for several weeks. That is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that Canadians get support when they need it. The series of changes that we have put into place to improve the EI program are benefiting Canadians across the country. More flexibility, more fairness, and a better service are what Canadians elected us for, and we are delivering. We are going to continue our work to ensure sound stewardship and accountability of the EI system while making it more simple and equitable for Canadian workers.

Mr. Speaker, the National Energy Board ordered Kinder Morgan to stop installing plastic anti-salmon spawning mats in eight B.C. rivers, but two months later these mats are still in place. The Liberals need to enforce the law under the Fisheries Act and stop Kinder Morgan from wrecking salmon habitat. Our record low wild salmon returns will only get worse until the government starts taking meaningful action to save wild salmon. When will the minister enforce the law and stop Kinder Morgan from damaging critical salmon habitat?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows that this government is working very hard to protect wild salmon stocks in this province. In fact, we are investing record amounts of money in marine and ocean science. We have a $1.5-billion oceans protection program. My colleagues from British Columbia have talked to us constantly about world-class organizations like the Pacific Salmon Foundation. We will continue to do everything we need to do to protect wild salmon stocks in British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, one of Canada's strengths in this difficult negotiation has been our ability to rise above petty partisan politics and to all play for team Canada. Having said that, Stephen Harper has recently proposed a different approach, and so I would like to take this opportunity to ask my hon. colleague to let his former boss know that this government's view is that capitulation is not a negotiating strategy.

Mr. Speaker, I am working hard to make sure that minister can return to asking the questions, but right now I am asking the questions.

After five months and five rounds of negotiations, NAFTA is at risk. The Prime Minister likes to suggest his strength is his progressive agenda, but in Washington the minister told our stakeholders that those will be non-enforceable, non-binding measures. Why is Canada putting non-binding priorities forward when it should be fighting for softwood, for auto, for agriculture, and for the jobs that we need?

Mr. Speaker, our negotiating position is clear in Canada and at the negotiating tables in the United States and Mexico. We will defend and maintain those elements of NAFTA that Canadians know are essential to our national interest. We are negotiating in good faith and we expect our partners to do the same. A winner-take-all attitude is not the attitude of a good partner. I want Canadians to know that we will always defend the national interest and stand up for our values.

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that that the answers we are hearing from the minister are not about charting a course to national success, they are about attacking a former prime minister and cynically pre-positioning Canada for failure. We have always taken a constructive approach and tried to work with the current government and we have advocated for Canada's position. Rather than pre-emptively deliver talking points explaining the Liberals' failure on NAFTA, we want to know when the minister will get serious and actually start fighting to protect the jobs of Canadian workers.

Mr. Speaker, I want Canadians and all members of this House to know that I take these negotiations absolutely seriously, as all Canadians expect of us. We made some reasonable progress on some of the more technical chapters at the latest round, but significant differences remain. We will never accept extreme proposals that harm the national interest, and I know Canadians are with us.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's first-ever national housing strategy was unveiled yesterday. As chair of the human resources committee, I know the issue of housing has dominated our work and is the number-one issue in my riding of Cambridge. The national housing strategy is a historic document for many reasons, including its recognition that every Canadian has the right to adequate housing. Could the minister responsible for housing explain this rights-based approach?

Adam VaughanLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Mr. Speaker, housing rights are human rights, and I want to thank the member for Cambridge for drawing attention to this government's historic commitment to housing rights.

Our commitment is grounded in the principles of accountability, participation, and of course non-discrimination. We will be putting forward legislation that would require this government and future governments to maintain a national housing strategy now and into the future. We are establishing a community-based tenant fund for grassroots organizations so that people with lived experiences can help guide us through this process. We are creating a national housing council and appointing a federal housing advocate to ensure our policies are inclusive and accountable. We understand the importance of housing rights. We are matching our actions with words but, more important, our words are “finance” and “funded”. Let us get building.

Mr. Speaker, with the Preserver and the Protecteur out of service, the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence is warning that Canada urgently needs four auxiliary replenishment ships to provide fuel and equipment to ships. The Davie shipyard stands ready to meet that need.

What is this government waiting for to immediately commission the construction of a second replenishment ship? This is a national security issue.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a dismal record when it comes to defending official languages.

The media is reporting that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to be served in French when crossing the border. The number of complaints go up every year, and the worst part is that this is nothing new. The Canada Border Services Agency is a repeat offender. There are recurring problems there.

Did the minister responsible for official languages forget that it is her responsibility to ensure bilingual services in every government agency?

Ralph GoodaleLiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has a very important point. The official languages law is a fundamental law of this country, and every Canadian government agency has the duty and obligation to ensure that that law is followed meticulously. I will draw his question to the attention of the president of the CBSA.

Mr. Speaker, this year, the one millionth child received the Canada learning bond, meaning one million Canadian families have had a head start for their child's education.

Making post-secondary education more affordable for Canadians is critical to helping them find a good job in their future. The Canada learning bond gives low-income families up to $2,000 to save for their children's future studies.

We will keep working to make sure that more Canadians than ever can access post-secondary education.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few months, the Liberals have demonstrated, time and time again, they are desperate for new revenue to pay for their reckless spending.

Now, today, the PBO confirmed that the finance minister's tax changes will pull an additional $6 billion out of businesses over the next decade. The Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness has called for a full economic analysis to be released.

Surely the minister has done this assessment. Will the minister now release this analysis so Canadians can learn how many jobs are at risk as a result of these changes?

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the report of the parliamentary budget officer, who is confirming what we have been saying all along, that 3% of Canadian-controlled private corporations hold more than 80% of all the passive income in Canada and that 97% of Canadian-controlled private corporations will not be affected by these changes.